‘Wild Karnataka’: Prakash Raj, Rishabh Shetty to narrate documentary

Bengaluru: Discovery has roped in Indian actors Rishabh Shetty, Prakash Raj and Rajkumar Rao to provide voice-overs for the premiere of the documentary “Wild Karnataka” on June 5, the World Environment Day.

The English narration of the documentary, produced by award-winning filmmakers Amoghavarsha JS and Kalyan Varma in collaboration with Karnataka Forest Department, is done by sir David Attenborough.

Rajkumar Rao will do the narration in Hindi while Raj will do the voice-over in Tamil and Telugu. Actor Rishabh Shetty has been roped in for the Kannada version.

Rajkumar Rao said the documentary serves as a good reminder to celebrate the country’s rich natural treasures and work towards persevering them for future generations.

“As an actor, you’re always looking for interesting stories to tell. However, to be able to narrate the story of our country’s wildlife was an extremely enriching experience for me. Discovery has always been my go-to channel whenever I’ve wanted to explore something new. Now to be a part of the channel through a film that so beautifully portrays the natural heritage of our country, it is definitely a proud moment for me,” he said.

Raj said he connected with the ethos of the show as it celebrates the rich bio-diversity of India.

“The magnitude of this wild based magnum opus can be gauged from the fact that this hour-long documentary is sieved from four hundred hours of shot footage. To use one’s craft for raising awareness about the beauty and the diversity of our natural heritage is a beautiful thing and now it is up to us, the viewers and the citizens of India to not only celebrate this beauty but also work towards taking care of it,” he added.

The film was shot using 4K Ultra HD technology by a team of 20 camera persons using drones and 15 stationed cameras across Karnataka over a period of 4 years. The documentary will be released on Discovery Plus App at 6:00 am on June 5. The TV premiere will happen at 8:00 pm on Discovery, Discovery HD, DTamil and Animal Planet.

“The premiere of Wild Karnataka is part of our long-term vision of promoting and elevating Indian filmmakers and storytellers who are making exceptional content,” said, Sai Abishek Director–Content, Factual and Lifestyle Entertainment – South Asia, Discovery.

Shetty said the documentary, which was shot in Karnataka, was close to his heart as it represents his state beautifully. “Lending my voice to the film in a way helps bring it closer to the people of Karnataka so they can witness the beautiful wildlife that thrives in this state, with a personal touch. It is extremely important for us to save our wildlife and the government and Forest Department of Karnataka are taking great efforts despite the pressures of development and vast human populations,” he said.